"A cake protector"

Cross-Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No 2008901250 filed on 13 March 2008, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Field

The present invention relates to a cake protector.

Background

Cakes are often used to celebrate occasions. Typically, candles are positioned on the top of the cake, lit, and at least one person blows out the candles by blowing on them with sufficient force to extinguish the flames. During the blowing out process, the cake may become contaminated by bodily fluids, such as saliva and mucous, hair, germs, candle wax, etc, spread over the surface of the cake by the person blowing out the candles. The degree of contamination of the cake due to the blowing out process may be increased with children, the elderly and the infirm who may not be as skilled or controlled in their blowing. From the point of view of health and hygiene, such contamination is, at the very least, undesirable.

The degree of contamination may go unnoticed by people who consume the cake. On the other hand, people who are aware of the contamination may be discouraged from consuming the cake.

Even when there is no contamination due to the blowing out of candles, there is the possibility that candle wax from burning candles and ash from matches may accumulate on the surface of the cake. In addition, the arrangement of decorations including candles on the cake and their subsequent removal prior to consumption of the cake may give the cake an unattractive appearance.

Summary

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a cake protector which includes: a substantially planar crown portion defining a periphery; and a plurality of discrete skirt portion members arranged about the periphery of the crown portion, the skirt portion members being displaceable between an inoperative,

collapsed position and an operative, erected position, such that, when in the erected position, the crown portion and the skirt portion members define a cover for covering a cake, the crown portion and the skirt portion members further being of a substantially transparent material. The skirt portion members may further include complementary locking formations for locking the skirt portion members in the erected position.

The crown portion and the skirt portion members may be integrally formed as a one piece unit.

The substantially transparent material may be of a transparent plastics material. By "substantially transparent" is meant sufficiently transparent that the features of an object, such as a cake, can be seen through the crown portion and the skirt portion members. The transparent plastics material may be of a self-extinguishing plastics material. By "self-extinguishing" is meant a material that will not support combustion when an external source of flame is removed. The self-extinguishing plastics material may be PVC.

A decoration receiving arrangement may be carried on an operatively outer surface of the crown portion. The decoration receiving arrangement may include at least one receiving formation defined in the crown portion. A boss may be arranged on an operatively outer surface of the crown portion. The decoration receiving arrangement may therefore be defined by the boss. Thus, the at least one receiving formation may be defined in the boss. The boss may have a height above the periphery of the crown portion and the at least one receiving formation may have a depth which does not exceed the height of the boss.

The at least one receiving formation may include a retaining formation for retaining the decoration in position. The decoration may be a candle.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a cake protector which includes: a substantially planar crown portion defining a periphery; a plurality of discrete skirt portion members arranged about the periphery of the crown portion, the skirt portion members being displaceable between an inoperative, collapsed position and an operative, erected position, such that, when in the erected position, the crown portion and the skirt portion members define a cover for covering a cake, and a decoration receiving arrangement carried on an operatively outer surface of the crown portion.

Brief description of the drawings

An exemplary embodiment of a cake protector is now described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:-

FIG. 1 shows a three dimensional view of a cake protector, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, with decorations mounted on the cake protector;

FIG. 2 shows, on an enlarged scale, a three dimensional view of a part of the cake protector of FIG. 1 showing a decoration received in a receiving formation of a decoration receiving arrangement of the cake protector;

FIG. 3 shows, on a still further enlarged scale, a three dimensional view of the receiving formation of FIG. 2 without the decoration;

FIG. 4 shows a three dimensional view of the cake protector in a collapsed configuration;

FIG. 5 shows a three dimensional view of the cake protector in an erected configuration; FIG. 6 shows a plan view of the cake protector in the collapsed configuration;

FIG. 7 shows a side view of the cake protector in the collapsed configuration;

FIG. 8 shows a plan view of the cake protector in the erected configuration;

FIG. 9 shows a front view of the cake protector in the erected configuration; and

FIG. 10 shows a side view of the cake protector in the erected configuration.

Detailed description of exemplary embodiments

In the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally designates an exemplary embodiment of a cake protector. The cake protector 10 includes a substantially planar crown portion 12 which defines a periphery 14. The cake protector 10 also includes four discrete skirt portion members 16, 18 arranged in opposed pairs about the periphery 14 of the crown portion 12. Each skirt portion member 16, 18 is displaceable between an inoperative, collapsed position (shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7) and an operative, erected position (shown in FIGS. 1, 5, and 8 to 10), such that, when in the erected position, the crown portion 12 and the skirt portion members 16, 18 define a cover 20 for covering a cake (not shown).

The crown portion 12 and the skirt portion members 16, 18 are of a substantially transparent material. In this embodiment, the substantially transparent material is a transparent plastics material. The transparent plastics material is a self-extinguishing plastics material such as PVC. In addition, the crown portion 12 and the skirt portion members 16, 18 are integrally formed as a one piece unit. The skirt portion members 16 and 18 are

pivotally connected to the crown portion 12. The junction of each skirt portion member 16, 18 with the crown portion is defined by a line 21 of reduced thickness which defines the periphery 14 of the crown portion 12. This allows articulation of each skirt portion member 16, 18 relative to the crown portion 12. The skirt portion members 16, 18 include complementary locking formations 22

(FIGS. 4 and 6). Locking formations 22 are arranged at each end of each skirt portion member 16, 18. Each locking formation 22 of the skirt portion member 16 is in the form of a tab 24 extending from a flap 25 arranged at the end of the skirt portion member 16. Each locking formation 22 of the skirt portion member 18 is a slit 26 formed inwardly of the end edge of the skirt portion member 18. Each tab 24 is receivable in its associated slit 26 to lock the skirt portion members 16, 18 in the erected position and, in this embodiment, to maintain the skirt portion members 16, 18 in position relative to each other.

As best seen in FIGS. 8 to 10, a boss 28 is arranged on the operatively outer surface of the crown portion 12. A decoration receiving arrangement 30 is carried on an operatively outer surface of the boss 28. The decoration receiving arrangement 30 comprises two arrays of receiving formations in the form of recesses 32 arranged on opposite sides of a central receiving formation in the form of a rectangular recess 34 defined in the boss 28. A depth of each recess 32, 34 does not exceed a height of the boss 28 above the periphery 14 of the crown portion 12.

Each recess 32 has an overall shape of an inverted pyramid (FIG. 3) with a V- shaped cross-section. The recess 32 is suitable for holding a decoration in the form of a candle 36 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The generally cylindrically-shaped candle 36 includes a base 38 held in a circular cup 40 from which a rod-like stem 42 projects. A retaining formation 44 for retaining the candle 36 in position is associated with each recess 32. The retaining formation 44 includes a pointed bottom 46 of the recess 32 in which the stem 42 is received and four side edges 48 of the boss 28 defining the recess 32. The cup 40 of the candle 36 bears against the edges 48 of the recess 32. The edges 48 grip the cup 40 of the candle 36 to retain the candle 36 in position in the recess 32. The recess 34 is larger than the recesses 32 and is suitable for holding decorations such as, for example, a larger candle, a name holder, a salutation, a figurine, confectionary, or the like.

As described above, the skirt portion members 16, 18 are displaceable between an inoperative, collapsed position and an operative, erected position. This arrangement allows for the cake protector 10 to be stored, transported, sold, etc., in a collapsed

configuration and to be erected prior to use. After use, the cake protector can be returned, if desired, to the collapsed configuration for storage, disposal or recycling.

In order to erect the cake protector 10 from the collapsed configuration, the skirt portion members 16, 18 are displaced from the collapsed position into the erected position by pivoting about the line 21 of reduced thickness. Each flap 25 of the skirt portion members 16 is folded along a guide line 50. As a result, each tab 24 is brought into proximity with its complementary slit 26. Each tab 24 is then inserted into its associated slit 26 to lock the skirt portion members 16, 18 together in their erected configuration. As described above, when the skirt portion members 16, 18 are in the erected position, the crown portion 12 and the skirt portion members 16, 18 define a cover 20 for covering a cake. In this erected configuration, the cover 20 can be placed over a cake to protect the cake and to inhibit dust, germs, insects, etc. being deposited on the cake. In addition, as decorations can be arranged on the crown portion 12 by means of the decoration receiving arrangement 30 rather than on the cake, damage to the cake due to the placement of candles and decorations directly on the cake is obviated. Candle wax from candles arranged in the recesses 32, 34 will accumulate on the crown portion 12 of the cake protector 10 rather than on the cake.

In addition, as the candles are arranged in the decoration receiving arrangement 30 on an operatively outer surface of the crown portion 12, the cake protector 10 also inhibits contamination of the cake which might otherwise occur due to saliva, mucous, hair, germs, candle wax, etc., being deposited on the cake from the person blowing out the candles or from other people.

As the crown portion 12 and the skirt portion members 16, 18 are of a self- extinguishing plastics material such as PVC, the risk of fire due to the plastics material catching fire from burning candles is reduced.

In the embodiment described above, the locking formation 22 includes the tab 24 formed on skirt portion member 16 and the slit 26 formed on the skirt portion member 18. However, the present invention is not limited to this arrangement, for example, each skirt portion member could have one tab and one slit, the tab being inserted into a slit of one neighbouring skirt portion member and the slit having a tab from the other neighbouring skirt portion inserted into it. Other locking formation arrangements are also possible.

In the embodiment described above, the decoration receiving arrangement 30 is in the form of recesses 32, 34 defined in the boss 28. The present invention is not limited to this form, and other forms for the decoration receiving arrangement 30 are

possible. The particular arrangement and sizes of the recesses is also not limited and could be varied to be suitable for other sizes of candles or decorations as desired. The retaining formation 44 is also not limited to the arrangement described above.

In the embodiment described above, the shape of the crown portion 12 is generally square. The present invention is not limited to this shape and the shape of the crown portion 12 may be varied, for example, the crown portion 12 being any suitable polygonal shape. The shape of the skirt member portions 16, 18 may also be varied. By varying the shape and size of the crown portion 12 and the skirt member portions 16, 18, the shape and size of the cover 22 defined by the crown portion 12 and the skirt member portions 16, 18 can be varied.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.